Arte's Aspiration (9)
Ben the Heavenly Spear and Barad the Sword King were more than capable of turning Grout into nothing more than a damage dummy.
But even as they said that, they could feel it.
'This guy's pretty tough.'
Ben had taken some deep wounds—the first worthy opponent he'd faced in ages.
Of course, named NPCs with superhuman strength possessed absurd natural regeneration.
Even so, they were still just human flesh and blood.
'Ugh...'
Barad was in the same boat. He felt the discomfort in his left wrist.
They understood the situation better than anyone.
They had overwhelmed Grout in the first exchange, no question.
The second would be the same—they'd push hard with all their might.
But that second clash would be weaker than the first.
And that's where the problem reared its head.
What about the third? The fourth?
And Hey Friend, Help Me had a hard limit on its summon duration.
'We'll tire out more and more, while the enemy only gets tougher.'
The Sword King, Heavenly Spear, and Gwangmyeong Guild locked eyes.
In that instant, they knew.
'We have to kill him without giving him time to recover.'
'Together.'
Group attacks had plenty of upsides. They could overwhelm a foe in one go.
But the downsides were clear too—everyone exposed to any wide-area strikes.
The situation was dire enough to risk it anyway.
Barad's HP remaining: 70%
Ben's HP remaining: 63%
That was the proof.
Grout didn't miss their simultaneous charge.
The advantage of infinite vitality? No fear of death or terror.
And Grout knew how to quickly whittle down enemy forces in a moment like this.
Their combined assault hit home.
Ku-kwa-kwak—!
Kwa-jik!
Peo-ok!
Su-ga-ga-gak—!
Grout took relentless blows across his body, clearly reeling from the impacts.
But the scheming demon smirked as his surging blood rose up.
"All here now?"
"...!?"
The focused barrage had indeed dropped Grout's HP from 75% to 32%.
But then...
+15% HP
+13% HP
+16% HP
Grout's HP recovered to 64%.
Grout regenerated again. Absurd recovery power.
The blood he'd spilled coalesced around him.
Hundreds of tiny bead-like droplets scattered in 0.2 seconds.
Ppa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pak—!
HP plummeted for everyone pierced in multiple spots.
And the real problem...
4 seconds
Grout moved according to plan.
They needed to deal damage faster than his recovery could keep up.
Assuming total damage output at 100, Grout had an easy way to shave it down.
Pick them off one by one.
That drops the total to 90, 80, 70.
Stunned Bak suddenly faced the demon up close.
Grout's sword stabbed into him.
Pu-wook!
-HP below 93%
"...!?"
He was Korea's top tank, a force to be reckoned with.
Yet Grout's raw attack power defied common sense.
A casual thrust took 7% off his HP.
And then.
Pu, pu-pu-puk, pu-pu-pu-puk—!
"Kuhahaha!"
Grout laughed.
Four seconds of stun.
In that time, he figured he could kill two outsiders.
Drop their total damage from 100 to 80.
Putting victory further out of reach.
-HP below 43%
-HP below 34%...
That instant.
Waduk!
You've encountered an overwhelmingly stronger foe.
Defense rises proportionally to the enemy's strength instantly.
Infinite Defense for 2 seconds.
Bak gripped Grout's sword with both hands. A growing class, a growing tank.
Grout didn't know, but Bak's gimmick shone brightest against stronger foes—defense scaling accordingly.
"Ho?"
Grout was mildly impressed. The outsider's aura had shifted from mere minion to something else.
What gave him this confidence? Temporary infinite defense?
Meaningless.
Then.
"Guess you didn't spot the shadow behind me."
Shadow. In Goyad Kingdom, there was a woman called the King's Shadow.
Always at the king's side—hence the name.
Bella.
Su-ga-ak—!
Bella appeared in a flash, slashing Grout as she passed.
-21,301 damage
Only 60-70% of Barad's damage, but she struck and vanished back into shadow.
Watching, ready to protect the king if needed.
She'd dodged Grout's stun entirely.
And genius Bella had an edge even Barad lacked: faster feet, lighter frame.
Sword genius.
Her self-created swordsmanship activated.
Maximizing her strengths.
Like the Wind
Temporary 3x movement and attack speed.
Su-ga-ak—!
Grout couldn't react. She whirled from all directions.
Any attempt to defend, and her erratic blade sliced endlessly.
And Grout didn't realize.
How many seconds had passed.
Too fast to count.
Plus, Sword King Barad had a passive reducing status ailment duration by 40%.
Su-ga-ak—!
Bella launched him skyward, pursuing.
Grout's back chilled.
"Excellent, Bella. Growing every day."
The king protected by his shadow.
Barad, freed from the stun faster than most, awaited Grout.
'Dangerous...'
King and vassal had synced through hundreds of brushes with death.
A glance told them intent, needs.
Grout desperately sucked in blood droplets.
In that gap.
"Sword King's Swordsmanship."
The power that strengthened Hyun-soo: Sword Cry.
But Sword Cry wasn't ideal for single targets.
Hyun-soo's version unleashed 48 blades indiscriminately within 20-35m radius.
Barad's was similar.
Except it reached 60m with 102 blades.
Problem: still a forward-reaching AOE.
But Barad had refined it.
Sword Roar
Superior to Sword Cry: briefly paralyzes will with a nails-on-chalkboard screech.
Amplified 5x+ to shatter mind.
102 blades whirl indiscriminately in 3m radius.
Kiiiiing—!
"K-Kuh aaaah!?"
Grout screamed suddenly.
Then the onslaught poured in.
"Die."
Immense pressure bore down as Grout absorbed blood orbs.
Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwak—!
Grout's HP recovered to 66%.
Grout's HP below 53%.
Grout's HP recovered to 62%.
Grout's HP below 48%.
Grout's HP below 11%.
Grout's HP recovered to 19%.
Ku-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwak—!
"Kuh aaaah!"
Terror gripped Grout—the greatest fear he'd ever known, despite transcendent recovery. His HP kept plummeting.
Then, eyes rolling back, Grout glared wide.
Dramatic Recovery
Instantly recover 30% HP.
"...!"
"...!"
"...!"
Grout's hidden trump card, unknown to all.
His battered body floated amid thousands of blood droplets.
Ppi-ppi-ppi-ppi-pip—!
They rampaged like claymores, piercing everything nearby.
"Kuhuk!"
"Kyaaak!"
"Kuhak!"
Gwangmyeong's HP crashed below 30% in an instant.
The two legends dropped below 45%.
"You bitch...!"
As they reeled from the damage, Grout targeted Bella.
He'd gift Barad despair.
By killing what he cherished most.
Bella, dazed from her own damage, couldn't react.
Puk, pu-puk, puuuuk—, su-ga-ak!
Grout ravaged her madly.
But Bella's eyes held steady.
Perfect knighthood.
Unyielding, even in agony.
Grout laughed maniacally at the sight.
"Kuhahahak!"
She was dying.
Bella's HP below 20%.
She seemed unshaken, but terror filled her.
'I don't want to die.'
New life gained.
She wanted to see him become king.
Grout hurled her into the air.
Bella's HP below 10%.
Blood sword-qi rained down on falling Bella.
Su-gaaak—!
Bella knew. This strike would end her.
"Bellaaaaa!"
Barad desperately reached out, shouting.
Bella closed her eyes.
'I'm dying.'
Then.
Pull
Her body yanked rapidly somewhere safe.
"...You okay?"
Opening her eyes, her second king held her.
"Go get healed."
As a knight, Bella wanted to say:
I'll keep fighting.
But his expression changed her mind.
Confidence. Resolve.
'When did he change like this...?'
Hyun-soo set her down and advanced.
Watching his back, Bella marveled.
Tremendous power welled from him.
Karma activated.
***
-HP below 30%
Severe Injury
Hard to stand. Hard to move.
Gwangmyeong received near-identical alerts.
"Kuh eup...!"
"Kuh huh...."
"Ow ow ow...."
They couldn't rise even if they tried.
Nel paled watching.
'No...'
Barad's HP remaining: 34%
Ben's HP remaining: 41%
Even Ben and Barad couldn't move.
Meanwhile.
Grout's HP remaining: 44%
Grout was already healed via Dramatic Recovery.
'If Grout charges now...'
Wipe inevitable.
Indeed, after Bella, he'd go for the rest.
Then Hyun-soo used Pull, saving her.
'Hyun-soo...?'
Nel looked puzzled.
They needed a way to chip that 44% HP.
Without it, facing Grout now was pointless.
Hyun-soo advanced, activating a skill.
His aura shifted.
Raging Sword
20% chance: basic sword attack power +341%.
Hyun-soo picked up speed from a jog and shouted.
"Bellia!"
Time of Judgment
Attack power vs. evil: +132%.
Holy light gathered on Hyun-soo's sword.
He knew it too.
This was still nowhere near enough.
Can't stop Grout now → Possible party wipe.
Hyun-soo kicked off the ground, soaring.
Facing Grout in the sky.
"...You're insane, kid."
Grout sneered at Hyun-soo ascending, coat flapping.
He had to.
He'd figured it out.
That attack before? Tried 12 times, blocked 10.
Same now.
And Grout's HP sat at 44%.
Hyun-soo was just buying time.
But Hyun-soo twisted his lips.
"You're dead. By my hand."
He had new power.
Karma (Active)
Grade: Legend | Level: None
Mana Cost: 2,500 | Penalty: None
◈ Low level = exponentially low proc chance.
◈ 5% success rate.
◈ Borrow power from those you've met with high affinity (your bonds).
◈ Use their true power once, as if they were really there.
◈ Special events may occur.
Custom-forged for Hyun-soo alone.
Similar to Hey Friend, Help Me.
Borrow from high-affinity bonds once.
Ghost Step (Ben) selected.
The key:
You'll walk like the real Ben, if only briefly.
Ghost Step +7 Level applied.
Grout's eyes widened.
Ben's afterimage flickered behind Hyun-soo.
A power beyond even Hyun-soo's imagination.
Hyun-soo's Ghost Step was level 1.
The afterimage merged into his back.
But Grout laughed.
"Kuhahahaha! Fun, so fun! Still think you can win?!"
Grout's HP: 61%.
He'd recovered more already. Hyun-soo knew.
Even briefly becoming Ben couldn't dent 61%.
But what if two ghosts?
"Gained some real power, eh, Hyun-soo?"
Chill ran down Grout's spine.
He turned. Ben behind, Hyun-soo ahead.
Hyun-soo's sword bore Raging Sword and Bellia's buff.
For this moment, equal to the real Heavenly Spear.
Silence fell around Grout.
Hyun-soo didn't know his steps per second.
But one thing was sure.
They could shave that 61%.
Two mouths opened in unison.
"Ghost Step."
"Ghost Step."
Two ghosts walked.
Hyun-soo had already checked the final story alert reward.
Defeat Demon Grout → Acquire Blood Demon's Ring.
The reward? Legend-grade artifact.
A cheat item restoring HP like Grout's.